Re: With 8.1.1 BM has just thrown a very destructive blow to the entire C-grading business

don't forget color was also free (with FCP) and a lot of us built up a business around it. in fact it's still great application for many projects. free resolve is no different.....the real change is now that more and more people are jumping onto the grading bandwagon. when color was released, not many people embraced it at first and it was never considered a "pro" application in some circles. then again neither was final cut when it first came out...but 5 years later and the world changed. all of a sudden everyone who had final cut was an editor. i used this to my advantage when i set out on my own and based my entire workflow on FCP and Color compatibility/round tripping. i don't think any of us could have predicted how soon that would all change. i figured i would have to cross grade to resolve at some point as color was being dropped.
i was just about to order the full version and start adapting it to my workflow next year. thank you black magic for saving me that expense. so now i have to compete with the same people i used to compete with as they also jump onto the davinci wagon. just because the software is free, i don't see a big loss for myself. after all you still need all the other equipment to put together a suite. if you already have the hardware it's a no brainer as far as reasons to step up to davinci. just keep in mind that the new young talent is now on the same playing field and the days of big expensive post house grading suites is quickly coming to an end. the really high end jobs will still be catered for by the base lights and nucodas of the world but for 90% of your average television work, the field is wide open.